Searching For Love
by spiritflight3
Summary: Sequel to the story 'When the War is Over'. Check my profile page for information regarding this story. Harry is looking for Ginny, who was thought to have died a few months ago.
1. Chapter 1

**Searching for Love: Chapter One**

(I don't own any copyrights to the Harry Potter series, or anything to do with it).

_"Today I took Ginny to the park, and her little eyes got so wide when she saw the playground and the other kids," I say, passing the potatoes as I speak._

_"Wish I could have been there, but some things came up--" Ginny responds, taking a spoon full of green beans._

_"You'll get to go next time," I tell her, gripping her hand comfortingly over the table top, "there will be plenty of park trips."_

_"No I won't," she responds, and I see her frown; Slowly she seems to fade away, leaving her chair and plate of food behind. "Where are you going?" I shout, "wait! Don't leave me!" I surge to my feet, knocking my chair over; A blaring noise fills the room. "SHUT UP!" I shout._

_"--going to get up?"_ A voice sounds jumbled in my head as I slowly wake up. I'm in bed, the alarm clock on my nightstand is blaring in my ear, Rachel is wailing in the background, and Hermione is bent over me, not an inch from my face, studying me worriedly. "Harry, are you well?" She asks, smiling a little amusedly.

"Never better," I lie as I sit up and grope for my glasses on the nightstand.

Ron enters the room, cradling Rachel in his arms. He coos to her, and rocks her gently, whispering tender words that only she can hear. He looks up, and I see the father he's going to be: a kind man, a man who can protect his family.

"We let ourselves in, and I took care of Rachel," he says, "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," I reply. I turn to Hermione, "And how's your baby coming along?"

She smiles, and I see a motherly glow brightening her face. "He is exactly three months, four days, nine hours, and--"

"_Okay_ Hermione," Ron breaks in, laughing, "she's designed this device that lets her keep track of the exact amount of time spent in pregnancy," he explains, "she's determined to know exactly how old he is, and be ready the moment that timer gets to a certain point."

"Sounds a bit to me like a timer on an oven," I tease, and Hermione waves her finger under my nose.

"For your information, I am planning to market these things someday. Just think of all the women out there who don't know how far along they are-- TO THE EXACT MINUTE-- I mean, really, doctors can only really give estimates in days and weeks and months. What if the baby is due--"

"_Thank you_ Hermione," Ron butts in, before Hermione can go any farther along on her tangent, "We've got a lot to do today, and we'd better get started. Harry, we'll be in the living room, see you in ten?"

"I'll be right down," I reply.

Minutes later, I lock the front door and we are off to Ron's parents house. Today we plan on retracing our steps; We're going back to the castle to look for clues. In the course of events that followed the downfall of Voldemort, we managed to find Trelawney and Olivander, both of who were alive and unhurt, at least, not physically; Both have had to be kept at St. Mungo's for treatment, but things do not look promising. I have often visited them, to find them babbling like children and howling as though they were being physically assaulted. The nurses tell me that it is a by product of their mental torture, they now live in a world where no one and nothing can reach them, nothing that is, except their own hellish nightmares.

_"Come in! Come in!" Mrs. Weasley cries out as she ushers up into the kitchen, "of course we've been expecting you! We have a room made up for the baby already; Harry, would you like to see it?"_

_"Of course I would," I reply, and she leads the way._

The room has large windows overlooking the garden. The white lace curtains are pink, and the wallpaper is pink and white; The crib is wicker, and looks like it has been passed down in the family. I don't mind this, because I know the Weasley's will take good care of her.

"Why don't we give them a few minutes alone?" Hermione suggests, and everyone leaves the room.

I sit down in a wicker rocking chair, and grab a toy from the basket next to it. Rachel gurgles and waves her tiny fists as I wind the little mechanism on it's back. A sad melody fills the room, and I begin to rock her. Gently, I sing a lullaby I used to hear Ginny sing, when she thought no one was around. Rachel's little eyes close, and her breathing slows.

"I'm going to find mommy," I tell her, "I'm going to find mommy, and than she'll be able to rock you to sleep too."

_"Harry!"_

I look up, and see Ginny standing in the doorway. "Ginny?" I ask uncertainly, "_no_-- your not real."

_"Why do you always have to do things alone?" She asks me, and I rise to the bait._

"Because I can't get others involved things that aern't their problem."

_"You always say that, and than you go and get them involved anyways. It's okay, I forgive you."_

_She spins around in the doorway, clasping her hands behind her back; Her long coppery-red hair is tumbling down her back, and I think she must be an angel._

_"I forgive you," she repeats._

"Harry?" I look up, and the doorway is empty. Hermione is studying me worriedly, Rachel is sleeping with the toy curled to her breast and her little thumb in her mouth. "Ready to go?" I am grateful she chose not to push the issue, and I tuck Rachel in delicately, before kissing her on the brow and leaving the room.

"I'm ready," I reply, and I am, if it takes the next hundred years, I'll find Ginny, I swear it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Searching For Love: Chapter Two**

(I don't own any copyrights to the Harry Potter Series or anything to do with it).

_In the hallway, I stop before Ginny's room and place my hands against the smooth wooden door. Memories wash over me; I want to drown in them. I push the door open, and stand in the middle of her room with my eyes closed. The sunlight streaming through the windows bathes my face in warmth, and I can fell her presence everywhere. I lie down on the neatly made up bed, and the quilts feel so soft against my skin._

_I remember spending one last night with her, before I went away. We didn't do the things your probably thinking of, but than again, we didn't talk a whole lot either. Everyone had gone to bed; Bill and Fleur's wedding had worn us all out, and I snuck into Ginny's room. She was expecting me, and I crawled onto the bed next to her and placed my arm around her shoulders; She buried her face in my chest and cried silent tears. I kissed her forehead, and told her over and over again how much I loved her. I know I should have been strong enough to stay away from her; It wasn't fair to break up with her, and than come back to her like that, but I think these days I've come to understand that I could never keep such a vow. Never touch her again? Never kiss her again? **Never even see her again?** Yeah...right..._

I spin around quickly and leave that room. I can't stand to be there a moment longer, remembering what I remember, and feeling what I feel. I meet the others downstairs, and we hurry our goodbyes, with promises to return soon. Our first stop is the castle, where we'll search for clues about Ginny.

_Birds caw in the overcast sky; The sun is barely peaking through the gray, and everything around me feels cold and lifeless. I kick a pebble into a stagnant pond, it's glassy surface slowing becoming overgrown with algae; The snap of the pebble as it hits the water's surface, rings loudly in the stillness._

"Well, where should we start?" Hermione is always the smart one; She always seems to know where to begin, and I love her for that.

"Let's go-- _to where she_--" I can't bring myself to say it, but luckily Ron understands.

"Are you ready?" He replies, staring at me.

"If there's a clue, we're not going to find it if we hold back because of old fears," I try and convince myself, "so lets go."

The spot where Ginny was impaled by the stone spike, is just the same now, as it was back than; Except for the amount of blood, which has long since been washed away. Just being in this spot again makes my heart beat faster.

_"You really have to stop blaming yourself for what happened," Ginny says as she steps out from behind the large tree, "it's not your fault." She claps her hands behind her back and cocks her head to one side._

_"Than who's fault is it?" I reply, "I wasn't strong enough to protect you, and I let you die right before me."_

_"But you saved her?"_

_"Well-- yes!"_

_"Than you were strong enough, at least for one of us, and that's what matters," she says, "And It wasn't all in vain," she adds._

_I am about to ask her what that means, but I suddenly blink, and she is gone. The spot by the tree where she stood is **empty**._

"Harry?" Hermione has been shaking my arm for several seconds, and I turn to her with an apologetic expression on my face.

"Sorry Hermione," I run my hand through my hair, "what were you saying?"

"Oh!-- It's just-- we think we might have found something!" She bites her lip, and I can tell she isn't fooled.

"Harry, _if something is going on_--"

"_There's nothing wrong_!" I try to smile, but I know she isn't convinced, "c'mon Hermione, let's just see what you guys have found!" Thankfully, she decides to drop it for now, but I know my Hermione, and sooner or later she'll bring it up again.

What Ron has found turns out to be remnants of the stone spike that pierced Ginny's chest; I turn the smooth black stone over and over in my hand, admiring the way it glints midnight black; Shards of the darkest night left for us to find.

"What do you make of these?" Ron asks, turning a few shards over in his own hand.

"I don't know," I suppose we should try to analyze these and find out what they are made of," I reply.

"We don't need to do that," Hermione says matter-of-factly, "I can tell just by looking, that these shards are full of magic."

"_Meaning_--?" Ron and I ask together.

"Well, that depends on the type of magic that their infused with," Hermione replies thoughtfully.

"**Hermione**--" I start to say, but she interrupts me.

She taps the shards with her wand experimentally several times, and than, suddenly her face lights up in triumpth; The shards shimmer in her hands and seem to blink in and out of existence.

"What did you do?" I ask her, but she only shakes her head. She forces Ron to stand against the tree, and with a hovering charm, launches the shards at him. He whimpers, but the shards seem to slip right though him without harming him at all; He collapses on his knees in a classic Ron moment, and Hermione runs to comfort him.

"So the spike passed harmlessly though her?" I ask, scratching my head, "but how is that possible-- she was so near death when she went to the hospital..." But Hermione has no answers to give me, and in the distance, I can hear Ginny's voice chanting over and over, _'and it wasn't all in vain'_.


	3. Chapter 3

**Searching For Love: Chapter Three**

(I don't own any copyrights to the Harry Potter series or anything to do with it).

Bath-time for Rachel is always loud and wet. She loves to splash the water about with her tiny fists, and watch the bubbles drip off of 'daddy's face'. I've had Hermione water proof my glasses since I've been giving Rachel baths, but I'm seriously considering contacts right now. Rachel gurgles and looks at me with those bright green eyes; somehow, it's like I can see Ginny looking out of them. Without thought, I suddenly reach over and kiss my daughter on the forehead, thanking every force in the world that gave her to me safe and sound. With a resounding splash, my mouth fills with bubbles and my hair plasters itself to my forehead; Rachel has taken careful aim, and hit me square in the face! She looks at me innocently, and for the first time in a long time, I can truly laugh.

Later, we sit alone together in the nursery, in an antique armchair that Mrs. Weasley found in storage somewhere. One little pink and yellow lamp is lit, but the moon is large and bright outside the window. I begin to rock Rachel, singing that familiar song I always heard Ginny singing. Rachel seems to quiet down, her breathing slows, and her eyes flutter closed.

**When the day has turned to night**

**And all the stars are all alight**

**Close your eyes and dream away**

**The world around you mists away**

**But know my love for you will always burn**

**A candle in the dark that burns**

**Like the stars that guide your way**

**I will love you day by day**

I know my singing voice isn't the greatest, but Rachel seems to be comforted by it. I can remember when Ginny used to sing it to me…

_I cried for Sirius when he died. I cried for Cedric when died. I've cried for my mother, my father, my friends, and for Dumbledore. I've shed so many tears that now I am drowning in them. Ginny and I laid together one night, in her room, and I cried for her, because I would have to leave her; I knew I was being a coward, asking her to stay out of it, and selfish as well, but I didn't want to shed another tear, especially not for the one I loved. Ginny curled up to me, a burning warmth against my cold heart, and she sang to me. Her voice was angelic, her words striking at my heart, and I knew than that I wasn't being selfish; I was doing what any person tries to do for the one they love: protect them!_

I am just tucking Rachel in when a muffled crash comes from somewhere below me. I can hear Mrs. Weasley shouting for Mr. Weasley, and suddenly the door bangs open. Hermione and Ron stand there, breathless, and in shock.

"Harry," Ron seems at a loss for words, "Harry, you'd better come see this."

"But what about—" Hermione begins, but Ron cuts her off.

"Hermione, you, mum, and dad, take Rachel and get out of here. Go somewhere safe! Let Harry and I take care of it."

"But--!" Hermione argues, but Ron suddenly entangles her in his arms and silences her with a passionate kiss.

"We're talking about our son's life here," he begs with her gently, "please Hermione—I don't want anything to happen him, or you, or my family—"

"Alright," Hermione whispers, a tear sliding down her cheek, "but—you be careful Ronald Weasley!"

He grins, and her eyes clear.

"I will," he jokes, "you know Harry and me; we never do anything dangerous or stupid!"

At that moment the Mr. and Mrs. Weasley appear in the doorway, looking slightly beat up.

"She's coming up the stairs! We'd better go!" Mrs. Weasley urges.

"Lead the way," Hermione rushes over to Rachel's cradle and gathers Rachel into her arms. I have only time to kiss Rachel quickly on the forehead, and tell her that her daddy loves her, before they apparate away.

"Who's coming up the stairs?" I ask Ron, drawing my wand.

"Ginny," Ron replies grimly.


	4. Chapter 4

**Searching For Love: Chapter Four**

(I don't own any copyrights to the Harry Potter Series or anything to do with it).

I nearly drop my wand in surprise, so overcome with shock; in my mind, I see a beautiful girl with coppery-colored locks falling over her shoulders, hands clasped behind her back, and her head tilted slightly to the side: She is smiling at me. I have little time to enjoy the memory however, because the door is blasted off it's hinges and crashes before our feet…

Ginny stands in the hallway outside the door with her wand upraised and pointed at us. At least, I think it's Ginny; her hair is different, shorter, pitch black, and her clothes are something the Ginny I knew would never wear. She's sexier, darker, and meaner looking than I could ever have imagined Ginny being able to look.

"Hello boys," she purrs; her lips curve into a nasty smile, "I believe you have something I want…something I want _very badly_."

"Ginny?" I beg, and she turns her attention to me; cold eyes glare at me, eyes that don't recognize me. My heart sinks, "Ginny? What happened?"

"_And you are_?" She asks, and than pauses, pressing a finger to her lips seductively, "oh yes, your that 'Harry Potter', the one I'm supposed to kill if I come across, but really, I'm not interested in you. Just give me the baby, and I'll let you boys walk out of here alive."

"What's wrong with you?" I beg her, my heart sinking further, "can't you remember me at all?"

"Now that you think about it--?" She pretends to think for a moment, and than her nasty smile returns, "no, in fact I don't."

That's when she raises her wand again and conjures a force that throws us backwards and pins us against the wall; her strength is incredible, I couldn't see what she was doing, and I never had a chance of blocking it. The force is like steel bands around my chest, arms, and legs.

She saunters over to us, and lowers her wand. Her tight leather pants squeak, her heels click, and her tight leather vest hugs her cleavage. She raises one hand to my face, and teasingly strokes my cheek; the other hand rests on my chest. She leans her face close to mind, and I can see that not even her eyes are the same color as the Ginny I knew, and I say knew, because I know she isn't the same; Ginny would never do these things, or tailor her looks like that.

"Do you know what your problem is, Harry Potter--?" She begins, "it's relying on these friends of yours. It's going to get you killed someday. Now, I see that the baby is gone, so, be a good boy and tell me where she went?"

"No," I reply quietly, ripping my face away from her hand and glaring at her, "I'm not going to tell you a damn thing."

She pouts for a moment, and I can see that she's working up a nasty idea in her mind.

"Well—" she sighs, "if you won't tell me, than I suppose I'll have to—"

She draws the hand that was leaning against my chest backwards, and plunges it into my chest. Light explodes everywhere around me, and I feel someone tearing through my mind. For a moment, I feel safe; there is no way I could have known where the Weasleys would apparate to, so I can't give that information away. In a moment, she draws her hand back, and looks at me in irritation; it's the first time I've seen her cruel calm disrupted, and, breathing harshly, I let a tear slide down my cheek, because I know I've lost her.

She studies me for a moment, and within her eyes, I can almost see the Ginny I know trying to break free, but it's gone in another second.

"Don't cry," she replies levelly, "at least you've proved your not useful to me. This way, I won't have to waste an undue amount of time on you, or your friend."

She saunters back across the room, and turns around in the doorway again.

"Ginny!" Ron cries out, "wait! Come back!"

"Call me Jane," she replies, "bye boys!"

With a final flick of her wand, she exits the room. For a moment, nothing happens, except that we are still trapped by the invisible forces, and than, suddenly, pain rips through my body as I have never known before; its as though my insides are turning out. The old scar on my forehead sears with pain, and a thousand cuts appear on my body, blood flows freely across the floor in streams, mixing with Ron's. The invisible forces that were binding us evaporate, and we collapse to the ground. The last thing I see is Ron, laying still on the floor in a pool of blood nearby. I fall into unconsciousness.


	5. Chapter 5

**Searching For Love: Chapter Five**

(I don't own any copyrights to the Harry Potter series or anything to do with it).

_9:00 PM, before the attack on the Weasley's House:_

Jane paced anxiously around the small office, twirling a strand of black hair around her index finger, and biting her lower lip in thought. It wasn't the coming attack that was bothering her, it was her dreams. Often lately, she dreamed of a coppery-headed woman, standing in a field of flowers; the woman seemed to be looking for someone, but she didn't seem to be getting anywhere, she just seemed to be walking in circles. Nothing was ever said in these dreams, except for the name 'Ginny', always whispered just before she woke up, as though the woman could see her and was trying to tell her something.

The doors burst open, and Voldemort swept into the room; Jane let the thoughts slide from her mind as she rushed to embrace the master. Affectionately, he patted her on the back and grinned at her.

"_My dear servant_," he hissed, "_I could sense your trouble from outside the room_. _It smells to me of confusion and fear_. _What is troubling you_?"

"Master," Jane looked into his eyes with glowing devotion, "I have strange dreams—"

"_Say no more_," Voldemort replied, "_for I have the answer to those dreams_."

From his robes, Voldemort produced a bottle containing a substance of a very nasty color. Jane wrinkled her nose in distaste, but took the bottle from him and studied it.

"What is it?" She asked uncertainly.

"_Only something to help with the dreams,_" Voldemort told her, "_do you not trust your master?_"

Jane looked up, fear in her eyes.

"_Oh no_ Master," she said quickly, "I am your devoted follower, ever and always, but, I suppose I can't help but be curious—"She stopped suddenly, a tiny whisper in the back of her mind warning her of the dangerous ground she was stepping on.

"_Well, drink up,_" Voldemort urged her, a nasty grin appearing on his face.

Jane drank the potion, and for a few seconds, nothing seemed to happen, except that she felt extremely sick to her stomach; suddenly, she felt the world tilt around her. Her dreams fell away and she knew who she was; she was Jane, loyal servant to the Master Voldemort, the hound that hunted his prey and the one who destroyed the disloyal and the disbelieving for him.

Voldemort watched as Jane's eyes grew dim, and she seemed to be frozen in place before him. He stepped forward, the grin gone from his face, replaced by an evil light. He tilted her chin upwards and looked directly into her eyes, muttering a spell under his breath.

"_You are Jane,_" he whispered, "_You have never been anyone but Jane, and you never will be again. As long as you remain under the Polyjuice Potion and this spell, nothing can awaken you, and nothing can turn you away from your true mission._"

He let her chin drop, and she swayed on her feet.

"_As long as the three of you are broken,_" he laughed to himself, "_the prophecy cannot come to pass, and the 'great Harry Potter', can never truly defeat me, but I must be sure, and to that end, I will have you kill his daughter, your daughter! I want Harry Potter to suffer before he dies, to loose his love, and his child, and to never know what could have really defeated me._" He stepped away from her and let her eyes clear; her balance slowly returned to her.

"_Now my servant,_" he hissed, _"tell me about your dreams?_"

"_That's strange_," Jane replied, rubbing her forehead, "I must have imagined them, because I can't remember any specific 'dreams'. I can't remember much of anything lately—"

There came a knock on the door, and someone stepped in to tell the Master that everything was ready to go.

Jane looked at the master, carefully keeping her love from burning to deeply in her eyes, but she knew that the Master felt it, and she knew he returned it, although he would never comment on it.

Voldemort stepped close to her, and gripped her arm like a vice; he leaned his face close to hers, and barely brushed her lips with a kiss. She didn't lean closer for more, knowing that he commanded their love, just as surely as he commanded her soul.

"_Go, my beloved servant,_" he whispered, almost tenderly, "_and do not fail me, but remember one thing: return to me. I would not wish for something, undue, to happen to you._ "

"I will return to you, my Master," she closed her eyes slightly, savoring the moment, "I will return—_for you_!"

She sauntered out the door, believing with all her heart that the _master and she_—_but she never noticed the evil light playing in Voldemort's eyes; an evil light, of deception_.


	6. Chapter 6

**Searching For Love: Chapter Six**

(I don't own any copyrights to the Harry Potter series or anything to do with it)

_The room is blanketed in white, and so bright that I have to keep my close my eyes a bit just to bear it. I sit in a wicker chair at a table. Across the table from me, Ginny rocks a baby, and nurses her, cooing to her gently; she doesn't seem to notice me._

"_Ginny?" I ask, but there is no reply._

"_She can't hear you," someone says, and I look up. Another Ginny is standing next to me, looking at the other Ginny sadly, "and she won't be able to hear you, not as long as she remains here."_

"_What is this place?" I ask._

"_This is the last sanctuary of Ginny's mind; the place where she retains her memories of you and the child, the last place Voldemort has not been able to corrupt."_

"_What do you mean corrupt?"_

"_She is—in a sort of sleep," Ginny replies uneasily, "sometimes she thinks about leaving this place…sometimes she seems to know that this isn't reality, but it never lasts long."_

"_So how do I snap it out of her," I reply, "and your Ginny also, so how is it you know these things?"_

"_I am—here to protect Ginny's memories. She created me when Voldemort took her over, sort of like a backup system. As to how to 'snap' her out of it, I believe that is your job." She smiles at me, and turns away._

"_Wait—"I shout, but she makes a 'shhh' noise._

"_He is coming, and he can't find you here! You have to go now! Believe in your friends, believe in your love! Find a way to awaken her!"_

_The world tilts around me, and I slowly regain consciousness._

"Just lay still Harry," Hermione lays a hand on my chest and effortlessly pushes me back down as I try to sit up.

My mind is spinning, but one thing is clear:

"_Rachel! Where's—Rachel--?_" I rasp.

"Safe," Hermione replies, "Mrs. Weasley is taking care of her downstairs. Now, Harry, you've lost a lot of blood, and I really need you to be still."

"_Ginny—_"I rasp, my head pounding from the searing pain that flowed through my scar "_Have to awaken—Ginny_!"

"And we will," Hermione replies firmly, "but first we have to take care of you. You're in no condition to go anywhere or help anyone right now."

"_She wanted—Rachel—Ginny—Why_?" I feel myself lapsing into a comfortable sleep, but I do not dream.

Sometime later, I awaken to bright sunlight streaming through the windows of my room at the Weasleys. Carefully, I sit up and grope around for my glasses. I feel sore and drained, but my head seems to have cleared a bit.

Ron enters the room, and I see the haunted look in his eyes. Nervously, he limps over to the bed and sits down on the end of it, but he doesn't look at me; for a while, we say nothing to each other.

"What do you think she's doing right now?" He finally breaks the silence.

"What time is it?" I look around for a clock.

"About ten or eleven in the morning," Ron replies, confusion lacing his voice.

I think for a minute, remembering Ginny's routines and activities.

"She's probably finished breakfast already, and now she's found a secluded field, and is working on her quidditch skills."

"Yeah, and she's probably kicking the butts of anyone she's playing with," Ron replies, breaking into a smile.

"And when she gets done, she'll come home and take a shower, and we'll see each other as I finish putting Rachel down for a nap—" I stop, unable to continue, because nothing like that has ever happened, and I suddenly feel weary of waiting for it to happen.

The smile disappears from Ron's face, but his voice is calm and even.

"We're going to find her," he says, "and when we do, it'll be just like old times. We'll wake her up, you guys will get married, and than Hermione and I will get married. Our kids will play together someday."

"Yeah," I reply, trying to remain hopeful.

Hermione enters the room and studies us; I hadn't noticed before how her pregnancy is beginning to show, but she looks beautiful in the sunlight. Ron looks at her with such love in his eyes. He gets off the bed, limps over to her, and stands before her. For a moment, she says and does nothing, and than, she breaks into tears and falls into his arms. He cradles her protectively, stroking her hair and whispering things to her. I turn away, giving them a few moments of privacy. Soon, Hermione speaks to me.

"Harry, when you're ready, please come downstairs. We need to think of a way to deal with Ginny. Do you know what she was after?"

"She was after Rachel," I reply, and its strange how easy it is to say it, "I don't know why, but I know we need to find a way to wake her up. She's under Voldemort's control."

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispers, a tear falling down her cheek; she doesn't know just how much easier it's getting, every minute that I let the reality of the situation sink in.

"I'm going to get her back," I reply.


	7. Chapter 7

**Searching For Love: Chapter Seven**

(I don't own any copyrights to the Harry Potter series or anything to do with it).

**I need to make a correction known to all of you reading this. In the last chapter, Ron said something like, 'and than you guys can get married, and than Hermione and I can get married', well, this is a typo because I had already written that Hermione and Ron were married and expecting their first child. Ron and Hermione are _married_. Sorry, and please keep reading!**

"How do you know she was after Rachel?" Hermione probes, seating herself on the worn sofa next to Ron; Mr. and Mrs. Weasley take seats in large armchairs opposite of me.

"She told me," I answer honestly, "she said she was looking for 'the baby', although I don't know why."

"I still think we should be trying to figure out how she's alive," Ron says, "I mean, I can't be the only one of us who's a little confused as to how she survived the—" He stops, and swallows, looking at me worriedly.

"It's alright," I tell him, "I'm just glad she's alive. I'll take what I can get!"

"I have to do everything, _don't I_?" Hermione lectures us, and we turn back to her. "I've been analyzing the samples we took from Voldemort's castle, and I've found some very interesting things about them."

"Such as--?" Ron pushes impatiently.

Hermione turns to me and her brown eyes study me.

"Harry, can you stand on the opposite side of the room?"

Wordlessly, I do as she asks. She stands across the room from me and produces the shards; they glitter evily in the sunlight streaming into the room through the large living room windows. With a flick of her wand she levitates them before her, and aims them for me.

"Hermione?" I ask nervously, but she bites her lip in concentration.

"Just don't move," she says.

Before I can blink, she launches the shards at me; Ron shouts in alarm, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley leap off the couch. The shards surge towards me, I feel them pierce my body, and than they seem to flow through me, like water; they bury themselves in the wall behind me, and dissolve into black wisps of smoke.

"It's just as I thought," Hermione announces, "the stone spike that stabbed Ginny, was a fake, it probably passed harmlessly through her body. We were meant to think she had died."

"But that still doesn't explain all the blood, or how she appeared to be dead," I reply.

Hermione shakes her head, and sighs.

"Harry, that sort of thing is easy to replicate with powerful, dark magic's. The point is that Ginny defiantly didn't die when the stone spike pierced her body."

"Than we go back to the hospital," I announce, and everyone looks at me startled, "that's where I lost her! Something happened there; someone orchestrated her fake death."

"Alright," Hermione agrees, but than she staggers a bit and Ron leaps forward to steady her."

"You're staying here," I hear him speak tenderly to her.

"I'm fine," she protests, but Ron shakes his head and kisses her softly, lovingly.

"You're not ok," he replies firmly, "you're exhausted. You've been up all night taking care of Harry and me."

"I need to help," she whispers, but he silences her.

"Than help us by staying here, where nothing can hurt you," he replies, "_for my sake_?"

She nods, and Ron kisses her once more; he turns back to me.

"I'm ready when you are," he says.

_St. Mungo's is as busy as ever; the entrance is full of the sick and injured, on their way to get treated. We head back to the maternity ward, and poke around for a bit, without finding anything or anyone who is really willing to help._

"I think that nurse is giving you the evil eye," Ron whispers as we rest in the waiting room, "she's been giving you the evil eye for the past ten minutes!"

"You too!" I reply, "but it's probably because she doesn't like us poking around here. Have you noticed how everyone is so unhelpful?"

"Yeah—" Ron begins, but suddenly we hear a woman scream.

"What do you think--?" I don't have time to say anymore, because the doors to the maternity ward are suddenly blasted off their hinges; Ginny saunters in, wearing the same black, tight leather. Surprise plays in her beautiful dark eyes when she sees us, and than she is cool and collected again.

"Well," she says, "I didn't expect to find you boys here today. This should be fun!"

"Ginny—" I beg, but she waves her hand and a force slams me into a wall.

"No time to talk today," she sounds almost apologetic, "today is strictly business."

"Can't you remember me?" Ron begs her, taking a step towards her.

Pain is searing in my head again; looking at her only makes it more intense. Once again, she puts her finger to her lip and taps it seductively.

"Yes, I remember you," she replies, and Ron's eyes widen.

"I remember thinking that I took care of you last time, but apparently I didn't do a good enough job; a mistake I don't mean to replicate."

_She raises her wand, and begins muttering the words to the killing curse, lightning streaks from her wand, but Ron curls in on himself, preparing for death, but the curse does not go through._

"_So you want to play_?" She whispers, a cruel smile spreading across her face.

Before she could kill Ron, I raised my wand and blasted her wand from her hand, leaving her bleeding badly, but the pain doesn't seem to be affecting her. I stand with my wand tip just pressing into her throat, and still she smiles at me!

"No, I really _don't_," I reply with a cold conviction, and she seems to relax, "but I will, if I have too." I blast her backwards, off her feet, and she hits the wall; I hear a bone snap somewhere in her body. My heart breaks at the thought that I could hurt the one person I love more than anything in the world.

"But you can't kill me," she replies leaning heavily to one side, "because if you do, you'll never—_ah, but never mind that_. _You're too late_!" She steps backwards, and seems to disappear in a cloud of black.

"_Ginny_!" I beg, but she salutes me, and disappears.

"_Someone help! I think he's dead_!" A woman's voice rings out in the sudden silence. Ron and I both look at one another, and dash towards the sound of the voice.

Inside one of the rooms, a nurse bends over the body of a doctor. He's been blasted through the chest; his skin is charred and black, his eyes stare lifelessly at the ceiling. A horrible smell pervades the room.

"Is this what she meant?" Ron asks me, "do you think she was just distracting us, so someone else could kill this guy?"

"But who was he?" I wonder aloud.

"He was a delivery doctor," the nurse replies shakily, "he once delivered the great Harry Potter's child…"

Ron and I look at one another, speechless. _Why would Ginny want to kill the doctor that delivered Rachel?_


End file.
